Phoenix story?

China Phoenix (Chinese phoenix/phoenix) is a miraculous animal in China myths and legends, and the king of birds. Also known as Zhu Bird, Dan Bird, Flamingo, etc. In western mythology, it is also called flamingo and fairy bird. The image is generally a flamingo with a long tail and a whole body on fire. It is estimated that human beings have carried out mythical processing and evolution on flamingos. According to the myth, every time a phoenix dies, it will light a fire all over its body, and then it will be reborn in the fire, gaining more vitality than before, which is called "phoenix nirvana". In this way, the phoenix won eternal life, so it is called the "immortal bird". Like Kirin, the phoenix is a general term for men and women. The male is a phoenix and the female is a phoenix, so the word phoenix is a compound word structure. Phoenix Qi Fei is a symbol of good luck and harmony. The image of a dragon is becoming more and more complex, with red head, buttocks, snake neck, fish tail, tattoo, turtle body, swallow chin and chicken mouth. Phoenix has been an important part of China culture since ancient times. Phoenix: For China, Phoenix is a spiritual thing, representing happiness.

Phoenix appearance

According to Guo Pu's note in Er Ya Shi Bird, the phoenix is characterized by "the head of a chicken, the jaws of a swallow, the neck of a snake, the back of a turtle, the tail of a fish, five colors and six feet". "Out of the country of oriental gentlemen, flying over the four seas, crossing Kunlun, drinking the mainstay, breaking feathers and weak water, seeing Mosufeng Cave, the world is at peace." There are five kinds of pictographic characters in Shan Hai Jing Tu Zan: "The first word is virtuous, the wing is smooth, the back is righteous, and the abdomen is happy, imitating Ren Yue."

ancient myth

In ancient times, the earth had six fields, namely:

Five Elements and Eight Wastes (Human)

Hexagonal boundary of mustard seed (ordered)

Jiuqu Huangquan Street (Jiudi)

Zhifuling Angel (nine days)

Chaos in the universe (the sun)

Kunyuan Middle Palace Boundary (Taiyin)

Among them, every world is guarded by ancient beasts, and Phoenix is one of them.

Phoenix, the Queen of Nine Days, is called the Virgin of Nine Days in Xuan Nv. There are two incarnations, namely, golden phoenix Fairy, Qingluan Boy who serves the goddess of creation, and Qingluan Boy who guards the gate of Nuwa Palace. Phoenix is one of them. It is called the Nine-Day Xuan Nv, also known as the Nine-Day Virgin. The universe is chaotic (the sun), holding the phoenix nirvana and burning the pan-Zhu Pei.

Ming Feng

According to the existing literature, Feng Ming is like a flute and his voice is like a bell and drum. Phoenix men call it Man, Fung Wong-Nui calls it Man, and men and women call it Tang Qiang.

Origin and evolution

The origin of Phoenix is in the Neolithic Age. Many bird patterns on painted pottery in primitive society are the embryonic form of phoenix. About 7400 years ago, a white clay pot was unearthed at the Gaomiao Cultural Site in Hongjiang, Hunan. The neck and shoulders of the pot are printed with patterns of oriental birds (including animal faces and the sun), one facing forward and the other looking back. According to archaeological experts' appraisal, the phoenix pattern on this pottery is at least 400 years earlier than that found in Hemudu Cultural Site in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, and it is the earliest phoenix pattern found in China so far.

The zoological prototype of Phoenix has different opinions and is generally regarded as a mixture. According to the evidence and arguments listed in China and China scholar He Xin 1987 and the book Talking about Dragons and Phoenix published in 2004, it shows that the prototype animals of dragons are large reptiles, mainly crocodiles and monitor lizards, and the prototype animals of phoenixes are large birds, mainly ostriches. Three generations ago, the climate in China was warm and humid, and both of these animals existed in Chinese mainland. Fossils of crocodile and ostrich eggshells were found in Paleolithic and Neolithic sites.

According to myths and legends, the phoenix evolved from the bird totem of the Yin people in the East.

The earliest record of Phoenix seen today may be in the chapter of Shangshu Yiji. The book describes the celebration ceremony held by Dayu after the flood control. The music was hosted by Solanum nigrum, and birds and animals sang and danced at the ceremony. Finally, a phoenix came-"Little Shao Jiucheng, Feng Di came to the instrument." Confucius said, "The spirit bird is also called the phoenix, and the mother is also called the emperor." Zheng Xuan's Note: "The document is said to be riding a horse." We noticed that here, the phoenix was regarded as a bird symbolizing good luck by ancient families. The so-called "coming to the instrument" was interpreted by Zheng Xuan as "riding a horse".

[Note: The ancient sound of "one" is "Russia", which is close to the sound of "even". So Zheng Xuan interpreted musical instruments as "even", which means "in pairs". But according to the literal meaning of Shangshu, I think the word "qi" should be pronounced "dance" (qi and dance are also interlinked. ) Feng Laiyi, that is, Feng Dance. Therefore, I am happy to say: "Yu! Stone to stone, all animals dance together! " ]

In fact, in earlier pre-Qin literature, the phoenix appeared as an auspicious symbol and a dancing god. Shan Hai Jing Nan Shan Jing: "There is a bird, shaped like a crane ... called Phoenix. ..... it's a bird, eating, drinking and having fun, singing and dancing, and seeing the world at peace. " "Phoenix sings and phoenix dances." (Wild West Classic) There are three kinds of colorful birds, one is the imperial bird and the other is the phoenix bird. "(Wild West Sutra)" Poetry Volume I ":"Feng Huang Yu Fei who touched his feathers is also rich in heaven. ..... Yi, in Jeremy goldkorn. Wutongsheng, in the morning. " Mao Chuan: "There is a feather sound. Also, all the birds. All the birds come to the Phoenix Emperor. It was the phoenix and the sheep that spread the Phoenix Emperor to many people. " Legend of the White Tiger says: At the time of the Yellow Emperor, the phoenix came from the sun, so there must be many. "

The question we are facing now is, are all these legends about the phoenix just a myth or a possible historical truth? In other words, did the Phoenix really have a real animal prototype in history? On this issue, just like the dragon's problem, the past academic views tend to be negative. However, we didn't notice that the following records were found in the Yin Ruins of Shang Dynasty in Oracle Bone Inscriptions (now Xiaotun area in Anyang):

"JiaYin bligh, hum net, phoenix. Bing Chen won five. " (A 3 1 12)。

(For the explanation, see Oracle Bone Inscriptions Forest of Steles on page 324).

According to Yu, this piece of Oracle Bone Inscriptions means that the Shang King ordered a net to catch birds, and he caught five phoenixes on the beach. "Because the net is used, you get a phoenix."

From this perspective, in the Shang Dynasty, there were indeed phoenix birds in China. So this Oracle Bone Inscriptions is just an isolated case? No. In the early inscriptions of "Zhong Ding", we can also read the following records:

"... Phoenix was born to the king. "

The word "born phoenix" mentioned in this article was also determined by Guo Moruo to refer to the living phoenix (textual research on Two Weeks Bibliography of Jinwen Ci, Zhong Ding). According to this, both Oracle Bone Inscriptions and Jinwen have materials that accurately show that until the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the phoenix was still a rare but not non-existent bird.

After the Warring States, Qin and Han Dynasties, the phoenix was completely deified as a divine bird. However, it is worth noting that there are still some records about the appearance of phoenix in the historical books of Qin and Han Dynasties. For example, Zuo's Seventeen Years:

"My ancestors lacked the land of Wuzhi, and the phoenix bird was suitable, so it was based on the birdmaster and the name of the bird."

According to "Hanshu" records, when the phoenix counted in the Han Dynasty, the bird was "five or six feet tall".

Historical records of Guangwu at the end of Han Dynasty: In the seventeenth year of Jianwu, Wufeng Emperor was discovered in Yingchuan County, Shaanxi Province. Quoted from the note of "The East View of Hanshu": "The phoenix is eight feet high." According to Biography of Fang Jing: "The Phoenix Emperor is tall."

The Han Dynasty was an era when prophetic superstition prevailed, and many strange things recorded in historical books were often not enough for credit investigation. But I'm afraid I can't think that there won't be some credible ingredients at all. At least in the Qin and Han dynasties, there is a remarkable similarity in the physical characteristics described by people, that is, the extraordinary shape of the phoenix-from five or six feet to more than ten feet high.

Let's take a more comprehensive look at the ancient records about the shape of the phoenix.

"Er Ya Shi Bird": "Phoenix, its female emperor." Guo Pu's Note: "Phoenix, Raptor. The head of a chicken, the neck of a snake, the jaw of a swallow and the back of a turtle are five colors, and they are six feet high. "

Said: "Phoenix, the god bird is also. The old man said: the image of the phoenix is also: crested head, scaly back, snake neck, fish tail, stork sound, dragon pattern, turtle back, swallow jaw and chicken beak. Five-color preparation, out of the country of oriental gentlemen, soaring beyond the four seas, crossing Kunlun Mountain, drinking the mainstay, breaking feathers and weak water, seeing the wind at dusk, the world is peaceful. From birds to sounds. There are tens of thousands of birds in the flock, so they think they are cronies. " "Er Ya Yi" explains: "Hanging in front of it is mysterious. The latter is rich. Snake neck, Wan Ye. Fishtail, Qi Ye. The sound of storks is also vertebral. Those thoughts, Mr. Zhang. Dragon pattern, text also. Takaya is on the turtle's back. Yan jaw, Ye Fang. "

"Han Shi Zhuan": "It is enough for the bear to say yes and the woman to say yes. Faint sound, morning sound, day sound, shield sound, raise sound, gather sound. " (Quoted from "Taiping Yu Lan")

Li Han Lingshi: "Gorkon, Feng Huangming, can't fly with wings."

"Ruiying Map": "Phoenix doesn't peck insects or break grass."

A legend about the phoenix is also recorded in the biography of Korean poetry:

"The yellow emperor acceded to the throne. Thank God, Xiu De is kind, there is peace in space, but there is no Phoenix emperor. Just think about its image, Ren Su.

When I woke up in the morning, I asked the old man,' What about the phoenix elephant?' Days old to yue:

Fufeng, Qianhong, Houscales, Fishbone's Neck, Dragon Tortoise. Swallow chin and chicken beak. Virtue, benevolence, loyalty, righteousness, small sound gold, big sound drum. Stretch your neck, flap your wings, prepare in colorful colors, sound eight winds, and the gas should be rainy. Food is the quality, and drinking is the instrument. Go to the beginning of the text and come to Jiacheng. Only the phoenix can reach the sky, respond to the spirit of the earth and observe the five tones and nine virtues. There is a saying in the world that one of the phoenix elephants is the phoenix. If you get the second phoenix image, it will be a phoenix, and if you get the third phoenix image, it will be a phoenix collection. The four phoenix elephants are under the phoenix spring and autumn. If you get the fifth phoenix image, then the phoenix doesn't live in it.

The Yellow Emperor said, "You are allowed to play! How dare I? " So the Yellow Emperor, dressed in yellow and wearing a Huang Guan, was lent to the palace, and the phoenix covered the sun. The yellow emperor went down to the east and west, bowed again and said,' the emperor descended from heaven and didn't dare to disobey his orders.' Phoenix is the only place to stop at the Imperial East Garden, collect phoenix trees and eat imperial bamboo. I can't live without my body. "

There are obviously many absurd elements in this legend. However, it can be noted that the phoenix shape described by Tian Lao is obviously the same as the "Tian Lao Shuo" quoted in Shuowen. At first glance, Phoenix's so-called "virtue, benevolence and loyalty" is quite puzzling (although this theory was widely circulated in ancient times).

In this regard, there is an explanation in Bao Puzi:

"MuRenQing. Phoenix's head is green, so it's called Dai Ren.

Gold is benevolent, and this is white. Phoenix has a white neck, so it is also righteous.

As a ritual, fire is red. Phoenix's mouth is red, so it is called a negative gift.

Water is smart, black, and chicken breasts are black, so I still know.

The earth is like a letter, and it is yellow. Phoenix is yellow, so it is said to be a letter. "

According to this, the metaphysical words of Confucian scholars in the Han Dynasty are just descriptions of different colors of various parts of the phoenix's body with Confucian five-element symbols. Namely:

-The head is blue,

-The neck is white,

-The beak is red,

-Chest and back are black.

-Toes and claws are yellow.

According to the above records, people who have never seen a real phoenix since the Qin and Han Dynasties have sorted out various legends about the phoenix. There are many absurd and illusory elements in it. For example, the so-called sayings in Shuowen, such as "crossing the Kunlun Mountain, drinking the mainstay, struggling for strength and weak water" and "soaring beyond the four seas", obviously come from the famous philosophical fable about "Kun Peng" in "Zhuangzi Xiaoyao Tour". But it is worth noting that this legend seems to point out that the phoenix is an animal that moves back and forth from northwest to southeast. Wang Niansun, a famous scholar in the Qing Dynasty, once pointed out a series of strange statements about phoenix singing in the biography of Korean poetry:

"A bird's song is different from its joints, its plural number is louder, even its voice is different, and it is written in rhyme. Words are embellished, things are illusory, and those who know them don't take them. "

However, if we remove the magical elements in the legend, we can sort out the following impressions from the ancient description of the phoenix:

1, the phoenix bird is very tall, about six to ten feet.

Phoenix bird has a soft and slender neck (snake neck)

3. The cockatoo's back protrudes ("the turtle's back is very long")

Phoenix has a beak like a chicken and a chin like a swallow.

5. Phoenix birds have patterns on their feathers.

6. The tail hair of the phoenix bird is forked like a fish.

7. Phoenix birds feed on plants (bamboo roots).

8. Phoenix birds sing different sounds. (The man says "namely" and the woman says "completely". )

9. Phoenix birds tend to flock, and hundreds of them come.

10, Phoenix bird is not good at flying.

1 1, Phoenix Bird Cave. (Living in "Danxue" and "Fengxue")

12, Phoenix bird has high feet (like a crane), arrogant walking gait and is good at dancing. (Phoenix bird alias "",the word from "",Xu Kai's note: Go slow. ")

From this, we can ask a question-from the perspective of paleontology, is there a bird with the above characteristics in ancient China that was worshipped by our ancestors?

The answer is that it does exist.

This kind of bird is a big ostrich.

However, more important evidence about the relationship between ostrich and phoenix was found in archaeology. 1 987 April1Xinhua News Agency:

"After the Yinshan rock paintings in Inner Mongolia, there have been new discoveries in Alashan Banner recently. Among them, there is an ostrich rock painting (located in Manzoula Mountain, Alashan Right Banner).

Before this (1976- 1980), a large number of prehistoric primitive rock paintings were found in Yinshan-Langshan area of Inner Mongolia. There is a group of ancient rock paintings in Geer 'aobaogou (the location of inverse county in Han Dynasty) at the southern foot of Langshan Mountain. Among them, 13 group has a striking rock painting (1.28 meters high and 0.60 meters wide). According to Professor Guy Linshan, the discoverer of rock paintings:

"There are two ostriches above the picture of this painting. There is a headless face in front, five ostriches below ... On the right is a human face with long feathers on its headdress. Below, there is a red deer with wings on its tail. There is an ostrich and an animal in front of the deer. There seem to be two dismembered limbs. There is a wheel shape at the bottom that looks like an abstract face. "

Professor Gelinshan pointed out:

"There is only one explanation for carving so many ostriches, faces, deer and limbs. That is, this is a scene of entertainment and charm of God. "

Then we have to ask, what god is sacrificed here? Another rock painting found in the same place provides an explanation for this problem. That is a picture of ancestors worshiping the sun.

"The map is 042 meters high and 0 16 meters wide, halfway up the mountain. The worshippers stood piously on the ground, raised their arms and crossed their heads to worship the sun. The worshiped round sun hangs high in the sky. "

In addition, there are a large number of images of sun gods and feather people in the rock paintings in the same place. As we all know, Phoenix is the bird of the sun in China. Zhou Li's sacrificial dance is a feather-wearing dance and a feather-holding dance. It seems no accident that ostriches, the sun, feathered people and admirers appear in the above-mentioned rock paintings at the same time. In ancient times, ostriches were actually worshipped as birds of the sun god.

The time when ostriches were on the verge of extinction in China can be roughly estimated to be around 410.6 million years ago-this is the legendary Yanhuang period. After this period, there are fewer and fewer reports about the appearance of phoenix birds. Occasionally it will be considered as a rare thing with auspicious significance. (See the introduction of "Biography of Korean Poetry")

In fact, there is a gap of nearly two or three thousand years between the last record of "the birth of Phoenix (Zhong Ding)" seen in the bronze inscriptions in the early Western Zhou Dynasty and the legend of Chen Wei rediscovering the phoenix bird in the Han Dynasty.

It was also during this period that the legend of Phoenix evolved from an animal totem based on real birds in ancient times to a fairy bird myth with both religious and political significance.

According to ancient records, there are many different kinds of phoenixes. There are many different opinions, many of which belong to the discussion of afterlife decoration in Qin and Han Dynasties. But there are four famous:

1. Bird 2. Lingniao

Step 3: You are walking. Step 4: Walk

Luan bird is probably the most well-known synonym of Phoenix. Phonetically speaking, the etymology of "Luan Bird" and "Xuan Bird" is the same. The form of Luan bird described by the ancients is even different. The popular saying in Han and Jin novels is that the phoenix bird-the mysterious bird-the bluebird is regarded as the messenger of the spring god and the symbol of Dong and the Queen Mother of the West.

Another saying is "Phoenix, Jade Bird and Black Bear". However, another opposite view holds that the shape of the phoenix bird is "red, colorful and chicken-shaped, and there are five tones in the song." ("Yiwenji Bird Department") Gui Fu's "Shuo Wen Jie Zheng Ziyi" concludes:

"Red is a positive color of Luan, and there are different opinions. Bird Sutra: Call it Luan. " Divination in the Spring and Autumn Period quotes Cai Heng: "There are five people, all like the phoenix. More red is phoenix, more yellow is pheasant, more green is pheasant, more purple is pheasant, and more white is pheasant. "

Taking red as the positive color of phoenix bird is actually training "Luan" into "Dan" (two words rhyme, and the ancient sound is similar), so that phoenix bird is Dan bird.

Dan bird, also known as Zhu bird, is also an alias of Phoenix.

Shan Hai Jing Nan Shan Jing:

"Danxue Mountain ... there is a bird. It looks like a chicken, and it is colorful. It's called Phoenix, and it has a literary grace, a wing literary grace, a back literary grace, a fake literary grace, and a belly literary grace. It is a bird, eating naturally, singing and dancing, and seeing the world at peace. "

It is generally believed that The Classic of Mountains and Seas was written in the Warring States Period, and this view of phoenix in Nanshan Classic seems to represent people's views in the Warring States Period.

According to records, chickens regarded as the embodiment of Phoenix are called Golden Rooster, Golden Rooster and Red Pheasant, which are unique to China and are produced in Hunan, Sichuan and Qinghai.

Notes on Water Classics and Langya are quoted from Annals of South Vietnam, and this kind of chicken is considered to be thunder.

"Ray, pheasant. Brilliant, the king shows off and is good at fighting. "

This kind of golden rooster also had a name called "turtle" in ancient times. Shuowen: "Soft-shelled turtle, red pheasant." Gui Fu's Yi Zheng quoted a sentence from Han Shu: "Its tail is red and bright." Shan Hai Jing: "There are fewer Huashan Mountains and more red turtles, which can resist fire." "Zuo Zhuan Zhao 17": "The house of Danniao is also closed." Note: "Dan bird, turtle pheasant."

This turtle pheasant is actually the prototype of the "Suzaku" in the south-central part of the five-faced beast.

The tortoise pheasant, also known as "Hua Chong", is symmetrical with the dragon in Shangshu. (Shangshu: "Sun, Moon, Stars, Morning Light, Mountain Dragon Worm." Note:' Chinese worm, turtle pheasant. Colorful, so it is called Huachong. ") From this point of view, the birds closely related to the so-called" Phoenix "of the ancients are not peacocks that many people like to imagine, but black swallows and this kind of pheasant that lives in south-central China.

This pheasant cloud was investigated in detail in Li Shizhen's Compendium of Forestry and Grass: "Turtle and Yizhou are called colorful chickens. Also known as golden rooster, golden rooster. The golden pheasant is smaller than the turtle, but its back is bright red, and the first five colors are like peacock feathers. This is the so-called two-ya chicken. The two kinds are almost the same, and the golden pheasant is particularly brilliant. Or golden pheasant is its hero. "

A quote from Zheng Fa is very striking: "In the era of the Yellow Emperor, the phoenix was regarded as a chicken." This record has certain credibility. In the legendary era of the Yellow Emperor, ostrich Zhen Feng was rare. Perhaps it was at this time that the chicken became one of the main parts of body double.

In fact, the Phoenix map after Tang and Song Dynasties is based on the image of golden pheasant, which is enlarged and decorated.

There is a saying in Shuowen that "Phoenix leaves the country of oriental gentlemen", which actually refers to chickens. The so-called country of oriental gentlemen refers to the ancient Dongyi-Korea. "Compendium of Materia Medica" quoted another record: "Chicken's whole life is peaceful, South Korea." This shows that the ancients believed that North Korea was the origin of domestic chickens. Compendium of Materia Medica records again:

"North Korea has a long tail, which is three or four feet long." "When the chicken knows the time, the habitat also knows the sunny and cloudy." "Its feathers will burn, which will cause wind." "The ancients said that chickens can ward off evil spirits, so they are also spiritual birds."

About Wei Zhi's reaction:

"There are thin-tailed chickens in Malaysia and Korea. Their tails are more than five feet long."

We can know that the long-tailed chicken produced in the East is another embryonic form of the phoenix after the Han Dynasty.

The reason why the chicken becomes the body double of the Phoenix may be mainly because of its relationship with the sun-the cock crow is rising day by day. According to ancient legend, the rooster crows in the hibiscus tree where the sun lives. When it crows, the rooster crows all over the world, thus breaking the dawn and sunrise, so the rooster becomes a symbol of the sun god.

"Yi Shuo Gua": "Stay for the purpose, for the pheasant."

Phoenix emperor, Luan bird, also known as pear bamboo. Leaving Zhu means leaving Zhu. The ancient name of chicken is also Zhu.

Er Ya: "The big chicken is Shu." Shu is also recorded as "Zhu".

"Custom Pass": "Call a chicken and say Zhu Zhu." Natural History: "People in this world call chickens and wish them good." On the other hand, it is said that pheasant is good at dancing, so it is also a bird that can dance like an ostrich:

"Pheasants love their feathers. They dance when they reflect in the water. Wei Wushi was given by the south, and the emperor asked him to sing and dance for no reason. The public is dancing in front of the big mirror. " (Different Gardens, Volume III)

More interestingly, ostrich also has the name of chicken in ancient language, which is called "ostrich chicken":

"Tuo the head of a lion can be seven feet high, out of Lumos. Long-tailed chicken's tail is thin and long, leaving North Korea six feet long. If you are more than five feet, go to South Korea. " ("Yuan Jian Lei Han" is quoted from "Jiao Guang Zhi").

By understanding the relationship between Yuanyang and Phoenix, we can know that China people especially like Yuanyang among poultry because it is often regarded as a symbol of love, which is related to the custom of treating swallows as bluebirds-high-media birds, that is, birds that declare spring and love, and actually have the same myth and cultural origin.

Let's look at the word "phoenix" in Oracle Bone Inscriptions. In Oracle Bone Inscriptions, there are two systems of Feng Zi Gai. The first system is the word "Peng" in ancient Chinese, and other system annotations are subordinate to the word "Fan". According to Shuowen, the first system of Phoenix characters is obviously hieroglyphics. The second system, Phoenix characters, is obviously pictophonetic characters.

We can notice that in these two systems, most fonts seem to vividly describe the two long feet of the wind bird. This is consistent with the physical characteristics of ostriches. However, it is in sharp contrast to the bird characters and divination characters described by the prominent wings and feathers.

Finally, I need to add that the original meaning of the word "Phoenix" seems to be a beautiful bird. Like animals, Malone and Dragon Horse are common in those tall and dignified people.

To sum up, the worship of Phoenix originated from the totem of the ancient stone age ostrich-the sun god.

However, after entering the historical period, due to the extinction of ostriches and the non-totem of the phoenix, the legend about the phoenix has become more and more complicated. On the occasion of the Qin and Mu Dynasties in Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the swallow and the golden (golden) chicken once became the twin of the phoenix. However, after the Tang and Song Dynasties, Yuanyang, crane, swan, eagle and peacock all had a deep or shallow relationship with the phoenix. Therefore, under the same word label, animal images with different semantics are injected. This evolution is also reflected in the evolution of phoenix maps in past dynasties. When we look at the phoenix pictures in the pre-Qin period, most of them are high-necked snakes, and they still retain the characteristics of ostriches. During the Han and Tang Dynasties, especially after the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it gradually developed into a comprehensive shape with golden pheasant as the main body and peacock feathers as the supplement.

Finally, it should be pointed out that among the phoenix cultural relics unearthed in the pre-Qin period, there is a common bird with a very strange shape and huge antlers on its back. This bird does not exist in nature, and archaeologists do not know its origin. However, if we pay attention to the habit of herbivores (deer) in ostriches at room temperature, the mystery of the combination of deer and birds is self-evident. Modern people often think that our ancestors were the creators of fantasy. But my research on China's ancient myths has convinced me more and more that the highest myth must have its realistic foundation, only to see whether we can decipher it through rational analysis. In this sense, myth is only the sublimation of ancient human experience.

sign

Phoenix is an auspicious bird in people's minds and a symbol of world peace. The ancients believed that when there was peace and prosperity, there was a phoenix flying. Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Fengqi and Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Fengfeng are the same, which means that the wind and spiritual power are everywhere; Burning is the word of the emperor, which means supreme and great.

Phoenix is also a symbol of China's imperial power and is often used with dragons. Phoenix belongs to the dragon and is used for the queen's concubines. The combination of dragon and phoenix is the totem with the most China characteristics. There are a lot of similar shapes in folk art, and phoenix also represents yin. Although phoenix is divided into male and female, it is more generally considered as feminine. "Phoenix" and "Phoenix" are common in women's names.

Phoenix is considered to be the noblest bird and the king of birds (although she is fictional), and there is a saying that "a hundred birds fly at the phoenix".

According to the theory of yin-yang and five elements, the phoenix is red and the five elements belong to fire, which is the image of the southern seven-night Zhu bird. It is also one of the four gods (Li Yun, Dragon, Phoenix, Kirin and Turtle) that China people call.

In the minds of China people, "Phoenix" has been the most important auspicious and magical thing in legend since ancient times. It is said that the phoenix can be reborn in the fire, symbolizing beauty, wisdom and good luck.

1.5 Chu culture totem

Chu people's respect for the phoenix stems from their primitive belief that their distant ancestors worshipped the sun and respected the phoenix. It has a history of more than 7000 years. Zhu Rong, the ancestor of Chu people, was Vulcan and Thor. White Tiger Tong in the Han Dynasty said that Zhu Rong was "a bird and he was a phoenix." "Birds in the Yajiang River" Note: "Phoenix is also". It can be seen that Zhu Rong is also the embodiment of Phoenix. There are a large number of patterns of heads, snakes and birds in Chu cultural relics, which shows that the ancestors of Chu experienced bird worship in the image of human heart, thus opening the cultural origin of "dragon and phoenix become auspicious" in China legendary culture. Judging from the prominent characteristics of totem worship in the clan system, Feng is the ancestor of Chu people, and it is inevitable that he will be worshipped and respected by Chu people as a totem of his clan.

Phoenix is not only a divine bird, but also a symbol of Chu nationality and dignity. The influence of Chu people's worship of phoenix has penetrated into all fields. For example, among the cultural relics of Chu State, there are countless images of phoenix, Xiu Xiang and statues, and the embroidery patterns on Chu people's clothes also take phoenix as the main content. In addition, there are "phoenix-bird series", "tiger stands phoenix drum" and "phoenix, dragon and tiger embroidered Luo Zen clothes". The phoenix-patterned paintings in Chu are varied and strange.

1.7 Cultural Orientation of Phoenix

China people's auspicious concept has a long history, which expresses people's emotional desire for happiness and harmony. The people of China endowed the mascot with moral and aesthetic significance, and after artistic processing, it was deeply branded with national culture. Specifically, China's worship culture has the greatest influence on Linglong, Phoenix, Turtle and Forest. Phoenix is a magical animal, the king of birds in China myths and legends, which can be regenerated in fire. Together with dragons, it constitutes the dragon and phoenix culture. Just as the dragon is the symbol of feudal emperors, the Phoenix has become the Fu Rui of empresses. The image of Phoenix widely appears in China culture. After artistic processing, Phoenix contains many romantic colors. Phoenix is one of the four great beasts in ancient China, which has an irreplaceable influence in the cultural history of China.

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Phoenix is a mythical bird in China, and later it became a symbol of China national spirit together with "Dragon". But its appearance has always been a mystery. In recent years, a white clay pot with the oldest phoenix pattern in China, which has a history of 7800 years, was unearthed from the Gaomiao Cultural Site in hongjiang city, Hunan Province. This discovery provided extremely precious materials for uncovering the mystery of the birth of the Phoenix, which shocked the archaeological community.

It is no accident that the oldest phoenix pattern in China was discovered in Hunan. Hunan is the hometown of rice culture in China, and the birth of Phoenix is closely related to ancient rice culture. It can be said that it is the product of rice culture. The 7,000-year-old Feng Huangwen unearthed from the Datang site in Changsha has a seedling in its mouth.

A large number of documents show that in primitive times, the rice-growing people in southern China took "bird" as their totem. This point has been recognized by the academic community. Last year, a 44-year-old Wanli map of Ming Dynasty was found in central Hunan. Five naked cabins with Thor as the head and a bird in his hand. This image of the unity of man and bird is a typical product of bird totem worship, which shows that the concept of bird totem worship was still very prominent among Hunan people 390 years ago. Birds are still carved on the wind and rain bridge in Hunan minority areas, which can be regarded as the cultural heritage of bird totem worship.

This kind of bird regarded as a totem by primitive humans was called "Danque" in ancient times, also known as "Yang Bird" and "Luan Bird", which is closely related to the origin of rice culture. Volume one of the Notes on Memories says: "When Emperor Yan (Emperor Yan) held nine ears of grain, the emperor picked it up in the field, and the eater was old and never died." The so-called "Danque", "Yang Bird" and "Luan Bird" are all prototypes of phoenix birds. "Guangya" says: "Phoenix belongs to the phoenix emperor."

Because Phoenix culture is deeply rooted in rice culture, "harmony" has become the basic feature of Phoenix image. "Shan Hai Jing Nan Shan Jing" says: "It's a bird, which naturally eats it, sings and dances, and the world is peaceful when you see it." Therefore, since ancient times, Phoenix has represented beauty, harmony and auspiciousness among the people.

The image of "Phoenix" itself is the product of the concept of harmony. On the one hand, it is the unity of opposites of "two in one", in which the male is a phoenix and the female is a phoenix, indicating harmony, harmony and auspiciousness of Yin and Yang; On the other hand, it is multi-element, multi-combination, based on bird totem, which combines the characteristics of natural objects worshipped by many different clans in primitive times and the beauty of Dacheng. For example, Shuowen describes the diverse and harmonious image of the phoenix: "The image of the phoenix is also like a rainbow, with storks, turtles' backs, swallows and chicken pecks in five colors for display."

In China culture, the image of Phoenix not only represents the harmony of natural things, but also represents the harmony of human society. Phoenix's "five colors" were later regarded as the symbol of "morality, righteousness, courtesy, benevolence and faith" to maintain the harmony and stability of ancient society. For example, "Shan Hai Jing Nan Shan Jing" said: "(Phoenix) has a literary talent, wing literary talent, back literary talent, imitation literary talent, belly literary talent." "Shan Hai Jing Hai Nei Jing" also said: "A phoenix sings and a phoenix dances. Phoenix Bird's Head is graceful and graceful in literature and art, graceful and graceful in wing literature and art, and full of literary meaning. "

In ancient times, the phoenix was also used to refer to people with high moral character. Confucius, a great sage who advocated "harmony is precious", was the first person to be honored as "Phoenix" in the history of China. Laozi, an ancient thinker, once compared Phoenix to Confucius. According to Zhuangzi, "I saw Confucius following five disciples and asked,' Who was it before?' Yes:' Luz is very brave. Secondly, Zi Gong was wise, Ceng Zi was filial, Yan Hui was kind, and Zhang Zi was martial. "I sighed:' I heard that there is a bird in the south, which is called Phoenix ...' The phoenix bird, wearing a sacred baby, is right and wise. It can be said that the harmonious concept of Phoenix culture covers all aspects of nature and society. This "harmonious" feature of phoenix image is often used in idioms about phoenix. The ancient rice cultivation culture in Huxiang gave birth to a perfect symbol of China people's harmonious culture, which is also one of the harmonious charms of Huxiang culture.